NEW YORK: February 8, 2010The Head of St John Chrysostom is Brought To the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign

On February 6, 2010, with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the honorable head of the universal teacher, St John Chrysostom, housed at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, was brought to the Synodal Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign. The relic will remain there for the faithful to venerate until February 11.

On February 6, during all-night vigil, under the singing of "Praise the Name of the Lord," the reliquary was brought into the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Sign by the Senior Priest of Christ the Savior Cathedral, Protopriest Mikhail Ryazantsev. The next morning, His Grace Bishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada, who was celebrating his namesday on the feast day of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, officated at Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral.

The visit of the relics of St John will coincide with a regular session of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Parishioners from various US cities are expected to come to New York, as well as from Toronto, Canada; parishioners from the Church of St John Chrysostom in St Louis, MO, are also expected.

Hierarchal Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at the Synodal Cathedral on February 7 and 9, the latter being the feast day of St John Chrysostom. On February 11, Divine Liturgy will be headed by His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion along with the other members of the Synod of Bishops.

After that service, the relic will be brought to St Nicholas Patriarchal Cathedral, where it will be until February 12, when the delegation accompanying it will return with it to Moscow.